When I told my husband I wanted to clean up the trash that littered the bushes near the local train station, he looked at me with a funny face. He confessed, “Um, people might confuse you with one of those ladies who rummage through the garbage for soda cans.”

I smiled. Then, I showed him the neon-yellow volunteer’s vest I bought online. He did not comment.

When I announced that a friend was joining me on this clean-up effort, he sighed with what sounded like quiet relief. My friend and I marched down to the station and proceeded to clear the bottles, papers, cans, and food wrappings. This act of doing felt good, plus the goodwill of onlookers was palpable. “Thank you for volunteering.”

The truth is, focusing elsewhere—on other people, pets, nature, and our environment—is a good way to get outside of our heads and the problems we carry. We are less miserable. This outward focus can boost our well-being. The simple act of hoping for the well-being of another person or the natural environment can release

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